New World vulture

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{{Taxobox | color = pink | name = New World vultures | image = BlackVulture2.JPG | image_width = 240px | image_caption = American Black Vultures on a cow carcass | regnum = Animalia | phylum = Chordata | classis = Aves | ordo = Ciconiiformes | familia = Cathartidae | familia_authority = Lafresnaye, 1839 | subdivision_ranks = Genera | subdivision = Cathartes
Coragyps
Gymnogyps
Sarcorhamphus
Vultur }}

The New World vulture family Cathartidae contains seven species found in North and South America. It includes five vultures and two condors.

New World vultures are not closely related to Old World vultures or other diurnal raptors, which themselves are often classified in different orders. They resemble Old World vultures because of convergent evolution and are usually considered to be more closely related to storks, as is reflected by their placement in the Ciconiiformes. This may not be true, but considerably more evidence supports this conclusion than contradicts it.

A related extinct family were the Teratornithidae or Teratorns, essentially an exclusively American counterpart to the New World vultures - the latter were, in prehistoric times, also present in Europe and possibly even evolved there. The Incredible Teratorn is sometimes called "Giant Condor" because it must have looked similar to the modern bird. They were, however, not very closely related but rather an example of parallel evolution.

The five species of vulture are: